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Judicial probe into Enron issue

Our Bureau

MUMBAI, July 11

THE Maharashtra Government has decided to order a judicial inquiry into the Enron issue. The Chief Minister, Mr Vilasrao Deshmukh, today announced the decision after a meeting of the co-ordination committee of the Democratic Front Government.

Mr Deshmukh, however, said the terms of reference of the inquiry would be decided in a month's time.

Before the weekly Cabinet meeting today, the Deputy Chief Minister, Mr Chhagan Bhujbal, had told newspersons that the Nationalist Congress Party would also support a judicial probe.

The Left coalition had been putting pressure on the Government to order a probe into the Enron affair as recommended by the Godbole panel. The panel had recommended that all aspects of the power purchase agreement between Dabhol Power Company and Maharas htra State Electricity Board and the manner in which clearances were given to the project be probed.

However, legal experts say that it is debatable whether a judicial probe ordered by the State Government can go into the clearances given by the Centre. If that is the case then the Government may have to restrict the scope of the inquiry to State cleara nces.